Visitor Information▼

You are here

2017 Annual Report Highlights

The Strong

The Strong is a highly interactive, collections-based museum devoted to the history and exploration of play. It houses the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of historical materials related to play and is home to the International Center for the History of Electronic Games, the National Toy Hall of Fame, the World Video Game Hall of Fame, the Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play, the Woodbury School, and the American Journal of Play.

Overview

Hired Steve Dubnik, entrepreneur and 16-year veteran of its Board of Trustees, as its new president and CEO

Steve Dubnik, President and CEO

Welcomed more than 557,000 guests on site, including guests from all 50 states and more than 40 countries, including Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, South Korea, and Uruguay

Greeted more than 17,000 visitors from member households

Launched the America at Play mobile tour, a self-guided tour available through The Strong Museum Guide mobile app

Toy Association and Foundation, $25,000 to support the National Toy Hall of Fame and Toy Industry Hall of Fame

National Acclaim

Named one of the “top museums for families in the nation” and the “top museum in the northeast” by readers of USA Today

Named the “top place to take kids in the Rochester area” by readers of KidsOutandAbout.com

Named a finalist for the “2017 edX Prize for Exceptional Contribution in Online Teaching and Learning” for its “Video Game Design History” online course, developed by The Strong and Rochester Institute of Technology staff

Named the “number one cultural attraction” by readers of the Rochester Business Journal and Daily Record

Named “best family-friendly attraction” by readers of City Newspaper

Named “Rochester’s Choice for best museum” by readers of the Democrat and Chronicle

Named an honorable mention in the Rochester Regional Library Council Library of the Year contest

Collections

The Strong owns and cares for the world’s most comprehensive collection of toys, dolls, board games, video games, other electronic games, books, documents, and other historical materials related to play. This unprecedented assemblage offers a unique interpretive and educational window into the critical role of play in human physical, social, and intellectual development and the ways in which play reflects cultural history.

Key Acquisitions

Toy, Doll, Game, and Related Collections

Miniature Soldier Collection

A collection of nearly 6,000 miniature soldiers

A collection of papers, drawings, catalogs, prototypes, and toys from Garth Parker, a toy designer

A collection of toys, games, videos, clothing, and materials related to popular animated characters from Masters of the Universe and Jem and the Holograms from Christy Marx

A collection of My Little Pony original illustrations from Ruth Bush, a designer for My Little Pony product packaging

A collection of art toys that illustrate a broad range of creative characters and toy variants

A collection of more than 4,600 strategy and role-playing games and 8,000 related library titles from Darwin Bromley, the co-founder of Chicago’s Mayfair Games

An assortment of materials chronicling the career in educational games of Lorri Hopping, a game designer, publisher, and author of children’s books

Video and Other Electronic Game Collections

A Magnavox Mini Theater and Odyssey promotional film, the first video game merchandising display unit

A collection of pinball machines from Stern Pinball, including Spider-Man Vault and Ghostbusters Premium

A collection of items related to Halo from Microsoft, including action figures, construction sets, and books

An extensive collection of Skylanders papers, prototypes, and artifacts from Toys for Bob, a subsidiary of Activision

Archival Collections Related to Artifacts of Play

A collection of design concepts, illustrations, style guides, product tear sheets, catalog pages, notes, publicity, and other information relating to licensed products and original concepts created by Bonnie Erickson, the designer credited for creating iconic characters including Miss Piggy and the major league baseball mascot Phillie Phanatic

Collections of design documentation, photographs, narratives, ephemera, and more from members of the Women in Toys (WIT) Emeritus Program, including Maureen and Laureen Trotto, staff members of design studio Thin Air, and Carol Spencer, fashion designer for Barbie toys

Archival Collections Related to the Study of Play

A collection of professional papers on play and human behavior from Stuart Brown, psychiatrist and play scholar

A collection of materials relating to the Reggio Emilia educational curriculum from Lella Gandini, the United States Liaison for the Reggio Emilia Program

Archival Collections Related to Video and Other Electronic Games

A collection of console games, source code, and design documents from Carol Shaw, the first widely recognized female game designer

A collection of papers chronicling the early history of Nutting Associates, the first manufacturer of coin-operated video games

A collection of early commercial computer games, printed source code, promotional materials, photographs, magazines, comic books, and other documentation related to computer games created by Scott Adams, commercial computer game pioneer and co-founder of Adventure International

A collection of books, archival materials, and fanzines from Chris Kohler, former games editor at Wired magazine

Education

At The Strong, students and educators alike have fun while learning. All educational experiences provided by the museum are informed by Reggio Emilia, a playful, innovative approach to teaching and learning that emphasizes collaborative exploration and inquiry and the Theory of Multiple Intelligences.

Education and Outreach Highlights

Welcomed 11 interns from 9 colleges

Delivered school lessons to more than 15,000 Western New York students

Provided professional development experiences to more than 500 pre- and in-service teachers

Educated 76 preschool and early kindergarten students through the museum’s Reggio Emilia-inspired Woodbury School

World Video Game Hall of Fame

The World Video Game Hall of Fame recognizes individual electronic games of all types that have enjoyed popularity over a sustained period and have exerted influence on the video game industry or on popular culture and society in general.

American Journal of Play

The American Journal of Play, The Strong’s peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary publication with a global readership aims to increase awareness and understanding of the role of play in learning and human development. Current and archived issues may be viewed free of charge at journalofplay.org.

Interviews

“Playing on the Right Side of the Brain: An Interview with Allan N. Schore”

“Play in Ancient Greece: An Interview with Simon Goldhill”

“Play in Ancient Rome: An Interview with Garrett Fagan”

“Collecting, Preserving, and Interpreting the History of Electronic Games: An Interview with Jon-Paul C. Dyson”

Articles

American Journal of Play
Volume 9, Number 2

“Ethology, Interpersonal Neurobiology, and Play: Insights into the Evolutionary Origin of the Arts” by Ellen Dissanayake

“I am an Avatar of Myself: Fantasy, Trauma, and Self-Deception” by Terry Marks-Tarlow

“Vygotsky Meets Neuroscience: The Cerebellum and the Rise of Culture through Play” by Larry Vandervert

“Listening beneath the Words: Parallel Processes in Music and Psychotherapy” by Yakov Shapiro, Terry Marks-Tarlow, and Joseph Fridman